The NYS STEM Incentive Program provides a full SUNY tuition scholarship to the top 10 percent of students in each NYS high school if they pursue a STEM degree in an associate’s or bachelor’s degree program and agree to live in NYS and work in a STEM field in NYS for five years after graduation.

Eligibility

An applicant must:

be a legal resident of NYS and have resided in NYS for 12 continuous months;

be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen;

be a high school senior/recent high school graduate who will be enrolled full time at a SUNY or CUNY college, including community colleges and the statutory colleges at Cornell University and Alfred University, beginning in the fall term following his or her high school graduation;

be ranked in the top 10 percent of his/her high school graduating class of a NYS high school;

be matriculated in an undergraduate program leading to a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics at a SUNY or CUNY college;

Award Amounts

A recipient receives an annual award for full-time study equal to the annual tuition charged to NYS resident students attending an undergraduate program at the State University of New York (SUNY), or actual tuition charged, whichever is less. For the 2015-2016 academic year, the Standard SUNY Tuition Rate was a maximum of $6,470 per year.

The STEM Incentive Program award will be reduced by the amount of any other tuition-only assistance award, such as the NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), received.

Note: Any award payment received may have tax implications. Any questions regarding this should be directed to a tax professional, the Internal Revenue Service, or the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance.

Duration

A recipient is entitled to an annual award for not more than four academic years of full-time undergraduate study while matriculated in an approved program leading to a degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics or five years if the program of study requires five years.

How to Apply

The application deadline for the 2015 STEM Incentive Program has passed.

The application for 2016 graduating high school seniors will be available in January 2016.

Awards will be paid directly to the colleges on behalf of students upon the successful completion of each term. Successful completion of a term means the applicant meets all of the eligibility requirements for the award.